Warning: Mentions death, conspiracy and possible murder.

****

Talia could sense Lady Barrington's unease after her gentleman caller took his leave. She knew it wasn't her place to pry into her employer's personal issues, but Talia wasn't always known for using her common sense.

As Talia brought Lady Barrington her afternoon tea, she couldn't resist inquiring about her employer's well-bing.

"I don't wish to overstep my boundaries, my lady," Talia said, handing Lady Barrington her tea cup. "But may I ask you a question?"

"Speak freely, Talia," Nova said. Talia turned around, clasping her hands together as she faced Lady Barrington.

"I've noticed that you seem rather...troubled by what your gentleman friend requested of you." Nova sighed, sipping her tea.

"You're quite observant," she remarked, studying Talia. Talia flushed with embarrassment.

"I beg your pardon if I've overstepped."

"No, not in the least. Pour yourself a cup of tea and please be seated," Nova invited. How Talia stared at her! She hadn't expected to be invited in joining her employer in afternoon tea and gossip.

"My lady?" Talia's tone was puzzled. Nova smiled.

"If you please?" Talia dumbly turned around, pouring herself a cup of tea, burning one her fingers in process and quickly sat down.

"This is a rather long story and I thought it'd be nicer if you sat," Nova explained. Talia nodded, trying to sip her tea without spilling it down the front of her maid's uniform.

"Milton Corbin and I grew up in the same social circles. His parents were actually a viscount and viscountess, but his father had a personal falling out with his father and they were stripped of their titles. This was many years ago, before Milton was born."

"My lady, is there a specific reason you're sharing this story with me?" Talia asked softly. Nova nodded.

"One, I'm putting my utmost trust in you, that you shall keep this between us."

"Of course, my lady." Nova nodded in approval and continued her tale.

"My parents were close friends with Milton's parents and when I was born, being a girl, they actually made a pact with Milton's parents, that I would be betrothed to him and we'd marry on my eighteenth birthday." Talia's eyes widened in shock.

"No, my lady!" Nova nodded again, that pensive look slipping over her face once more.

"Unfortunately, yes. However, Milton is a few years older than I and by the time I was eighteen, he'd met and fallen in love with someone else. Naturally, neither of our parents were pleased." Nova paused, nervously fidgeting with her now empty tea cup. She sat it aside.

"Milton's parents went to see this girl, offering her a large sum of money if she'd walk away from Milton and cut all her ties with him. She refused."

Talia set her own cup aside, although she hadn't finished with her tea. She leaned forward, completely enraptured by this thrilling tale involving Lord Corbin, his family, an unknown woman and Miss Barrington's family.

"What happened?" Talia asked breathlessly.

"I can't be certain, but the young lady mysteriously disappeared. She was never seen again." Nova paused. "Milton came to me one night. He was distraught, certain that his parents had done something to her."

Talia stared in disbelief at her employer, unable to fully grasp what had possibly taken place.

"Milton thought perhaps she'd been..murdered. But that was merely speculation."

"What about his parents?" Talia asked.

"They left England, shortly after. Milton never said where they went. However, they were on a ship, which apparently hit a storm. He never saw nor heard from them again. As they were presumed dead, he inherited all their wealth and property."

"Well, that's an intriguing story, for sure, my lady," Talia said, straightening up. "But what does that have to do with you?"

Nova sighed, shifting uneasily in her seat. "Milton, has you overhead, is planning on campaigning for a position in parliament. He...he's been trying to get me to accept his...marriage proposal."

Talia's mouth dropped open, her heart skipping several beats.

No.

"And...and you'd rather not?"

Nova shook her head, bowing it, gazing intently at the floor. Her hands had gone still in her lap. Talia wasn't sure if she should said anything or simply ask to be excused.

Before Talia could make up her mind, Nova lifted her head, looking directly at Talia, a trace of moisture in her beautiful dark eyes.

"You see, Talia," Nova murmured. "I'm not the sort of lady who cares for marrying a...gentleman."

Nova's blunt declaration shocked Talia to her core. She understood perfectly what Lady Barrington was admitting to. Hope surged within her, if only for a brief moment.

Talia wanted to rush over to Lady Barrington, collected her in her arms and comfort her, telling of her own, personal feelings. But she knew she couldn't. Not yet.

"I appreciate you confiding in me, my lady," Talia said, her tone formal and respectful. "I vow to take your secret to my grave and never utter a word of this conversation to another soul."

Nova nodded, a look of relief passing over her facial features. However, there was a stab of disappointment in her breast as well. She'd hoped that perhaps Talia might have expressed a bit of interest in her. But alas, no.

"Thank you, Talia." Nova stood up. "I'll be in my private apartments, should anyone need me. Please see to the tea and perhaps see if one of the housemaids might require some assistance."

Talia watched as Lady Barrington slipped away from the parlor, heading upstairs, that pensive look still firmly etched into her pretty face. She sighed, collecting the tray, and with a heavy heart, headed for the kitchen.

****

"No!" Lord Tobias Winston had come by to see his old boarding school friend, Milton Corbin, when Milton had informed him of Lady Barrington's refusal to attend to him during the dinner party.

"Indeed." Milton was restlessly pacing in front of his fireplace, his handsome face screwed up in thought. Naturally, his thoughts were on Lady Barrington.

"I honestly don't see why you bother with that one, Milton." Lord Winston removed a thick cigar from his coat pocket, standing and moving to light it from the fire and placed it between his lips, puffing away as he returned to his seat.

Lord Corbin tossed his friend a dirty look, but made no comment. Lord Winston wasn't certain rather his friend was disgusted his smoking habit or his remark in regards to Miss Barrington.

"She is rather lovely," Tobias continued. "However, there's always been something.. odd about the woman." Lord Corbin stopped his pacing momentarily, staring stonily at Lord Winston.

"What, precisely is odd about her?" Tobias shrugged, still enjoying his cigar. He fished another one out, tossing it to Milton, who promptly caught it and lit it, bringing it to his lips and inhaling.

"She seems...uninterested in marriage. How old is she again? Nearly thirty?"

"She's only twenty six," Milton snapped, irritation flashing across his face.

Tobias raised his eyebrows. "Only twenty six? She's practically a spinster!"

"She's not a spinster, for heaven's sake!" Milton scowled, furiously puffing away on his cigar.

"Perhaps not," Tobias agreed. "However you never answered my original question."

"Which was?" Milton plucked the cigar from his lips, absently tossing it into the fire. As it burned, it released a spicy scent, filling the room.

"Why are you wasting precious time on Nova Barrington?"

"We're old friends," Milton said as he resumed his pacing.

"That's laziness," Tobias interjected. "If you had half a brain in that head of yours, you'd forget about Nova Barrington and set your sights on something more tasteful."

Milton ceased his pacing and joined Tobias on the settee. He had a sinking feeling what Tobias was about to say.

"I suppose you're referring to Miss Ashford?" Milton said. Tobias grinned.

"Precisely. Not only is she far more beautiful, she has the larger dowry of the two women."

"But Lady Ashford is so...so..." Milton couldn't bring himself to say the word. Besides, he wasn't in love with Helena Ashford.

"Stuffy? Boring? Controlling?" Tobias twirled his cigar in the air, punctuating each word with it.

"All of them?" Milton briefly smiled.

"She's a bitch," Tobias said. Milton coughed, his face getting warm.

"There's no need to be unkind," Milton said stiffly. While he wasn't fond of Helena Ashford, he didn't believe in speaking ill of her.

"The truth isn't always kind, Milton," Tobias said bluntly. Milton shook his head.  "Besides, you're not in love with Nova. You're simply comfortable with her."

"I was, once," Milton murmured, gazing into the crackling fire. "But these last few years, she's become more distant and guarded. It's almost as if..." He stopped.

"She's hiding something?" Milton looked at Tobias and nodded.

"Perhaps she is."

"Whatever could Nova possibly be hiding?" Milton scubbed a hand through his hair.

Tobias shrugged, still puffing away on his cigar. "Perhaps nothing." Milton gave him a cool look.

"You're a worse gossiper than Miss Ashford," he commented. Tobias chuckled.

"Damn right I am."

****

After Nova had removed herself from the parlor, she sat upstairs, struggling to focus on reading for a while. When she discovered she'd only read five pages in an hour, because she kept reading the same pages over and over again, she gave up and just sat by the fire, recalling that night Milton had come to her.

Eight years had passed and Nova could still easily conjure up Milton's visit that night. It had been late and she'd about been ready to retire for the evening. Her parents were out of town and so Nova had been alone.

She recalled her butler hurrying into the drawing room, Milton just behind, his hair disheveled, his eyes wide with fear. The poor man was out of his wits. He couldn't hardly put a simple sentence together, he was so upset.

Nova had asked for some hot tea, while she tried in vain to calm Milton down. After half an hour, the man was finally able to explain what he thought had happened. He hadn't seen Margaret, the woman he'd fallen in love, since Monday and it was now Friday.

Nova had asked if he'd gone to see her. Milton replied he had, but had been turned away at the door every time he'd been there. Nova suggested that perhaps Margaret had left London for a few days, with her parents. Milton refused to believe that.

After several tense minutes, Milton finally admitted to Nova that he'd overheard his mother speaking with a strange man he'd never seen before and had mentioned something about handling some dirty work.

Nova tried to assure Milton that he was imagining things and that she was positive he'd see Margaret again the following week. Milton had calmed down considerably by that time and reluctantly agreed that Nova was most likely correct. He apologized for alarming her, taking his leave.

Unfortunately, a few days later, Milton returned to Barrington Hall, informing Nova that Margaret had simply vanished. Her parents had hired people to search for her, but no trace of her could be found. Nova consoled Milton to the best of her ability, but she knew deep down, it was all in vain.

There a light knock on the door and Nova was called away from that awful day.

"Come in." The door opened and Talia slipped inside, drawing a smile from Nova.

"I just wanted to look in on you, my lady," Talia said.

"I appreciate that."

"It's nearly dinnertime and Mrs. Akins was wondering if you were planning on eating up here or in the dining room?"

"I'll eat in the dining room. Thank you."

"Of course. Will there be anything else?" Talia asked. Nova shook her head.

"That will be all, Talia. Thank you."

"Will you need me to dress you for dinner?" Talia asked.

"No. What I'm wearing is perfectly acceptable. I'm not entertaining this evening."

"Very well, my lady." Talia was about to leave the room when Nova stopped her.

"Talia, I do hope this lifestyle of mine isn't too...off putting to you."

"Of course not, my lady." Talia hesitated. "Is there a reason why you're asking me this?"

"I suppose, I just, I wouldn't want you to think ill of me because of my wealth," Nova said. Talia smiled.

"Never, my lady. You've been very kind to me and that's what I'm impressed by."

Nova looked greatly relieved as she stood, moving to take Talia's hands in hers. She knew she was doing the unthinkable by being so blunt towards her servant. But something brazen was stirring within Nova and she was tired of pretending any longer.

Talia stared at first at her hands in Nova's, her heart pounding within her chest before she raised her eyes to Lady Barrington's lovely face. In that single moment, Talia knew something was happening between them.

"I'm pleased to be able to assist you, my dear Talia," Nova murmured.

"Yes, my lady." Talia gently slipped her hands free, dropping them to her side, putting some much needed space between the two. Although she desperately longed for Lady Barrington's touch, she knew she must be careful. For they both had much to lose.